Machine for automatically forming, filling, closing and sealing cartons

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR FORMING CARTONS OF PAPERBOARD OR THE LIKE FROM BLANKS HAVING A THERMOPLASTIC MOISTUREPROOF COATING ON THEIR INNER AND OUTER SURFACES AND SCORE LINES THEREIN DEFINING TOP AND BOTTOM CLOSURE PARTS, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A MAGNAZINE ADAPTED TO HOLD A SUPPLY OF SAID BLANKS, A MANDREL ASSEMBLY ROTATABLY DRIVEN WITH A STEP BY STEP INDEXINGG MOTION, MEANS FOR FEEDING BLANKS SUCCESSIVELY FROM SAID MAGAZINE TO SAID MANDREL ASSEMBLY AND FOR ERECTING SAID BLANKS INTO OPEN ENDED TUBULAR FORM AS AN INCIDENT TO SUCH FEEDING, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF STATIONS WITH WHICH SAID MANDREL ASSEMBLY IS ADAPTED TO REGISTER FOR BREAKING THE FOLDS OF THE BOTTOM CLOSURE PARTS, HEATING THE SAME FOR ACTIVATING THE THERMOPLASTIC THEREON AND CLOSING AND SEALING SAID BOTTOM CLOSURE PARTS, CONNVEYOR MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ENDLESS CHAIN ASSEMBLIES ARRANGED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION, SAID CHAIN ASSEMBLIES BEING ADJUSTABLE LATERALLY TO ACCOMMODATE CARTONS OF DIFFERENT BASE SIZES BETWEEN THE INNER REACHES OF SAID ASSEMBLIES, MEANS FOR STRIPPING CARTONS SUCCESSIVELY FROM SAID MANDREL ASSEMBLY IN UPRIGHT POSITION AND TRANSFERRING SAID CARTONS TO SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, SAID CONVEYOR MEANS BEING ADAPTED FOR MOVING SAID BLANKS AS PARTIALLY FORMED CARTONS LINEARLY WITH A STEP BY STEP INDEXING MOTION SUCCESSIVELY INTO REGISTRATION WITH TOP BREAKER MEANS, FILLER MEANS, HEATING MEANS FOR HEATING THE TOP CLOSURE PARTS OF THE CARTON BLANKS TO ADHESIVELY ACTIVATE THE THERMOSPLATIC COATING AND TOP CLOSURE MEANS, AND DELIVERY MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE FILLED AND SEALED CARTONS FROM THE MACHINE.